Bute has ‘most affordable seaside homes’

Newsdesk

Port Bannatyne on Bute has been named as the most affordable seaside location in Britain in which to buy a home.

The average cost of a house in the village is £73,539, compared with £672,874 in the most expensive seaside town of Salcombe, Devon, according to the survey of house prices in 196 locations across the country carried out by Halifax.

Just ahead of Port Bannatyne are Newbiggin-by-the-Sea in Northumberland and Campbeltown in Kintyre, with an average house price of £81,339 and £85,659 respectively.

The Halifax survey found that, over the last 10 years, the average house price in a seaside town has increased by almost one third to £208,729.

The increase means seaside homes have added around £410 a month to their value over the last decade.

The biggest increases in the average price of homes in seaside towns over the past decade were all recorded north of the Border.

Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire recorded the largest rise, with a 109 per cent increase in property values to £132,920 in 2015.

Lerwick in Shetland and Peterhead in Aberdeenshire experienced the next largest rises, both recording a 102 per cent upswing.

Craig McKinlay, mortgages director at Halifax, said: “Seaside towns have a distinct attraction, offering that all important sea view with a typically high quality of life in a healthy environment.

“There is a romance associated with living by the sea and this is evident in the high house prices seen in many of these areas.Some of the most expensive seaside towns in Britain are dotted along the southern England coastline while many of the least expensive are in the north, particularly in Scotland.

“Despite a clear north-south divide in property prices among seaside towns, the rapid price growth in many Scottish seaside towns over the last 10 years suggests the popularity of coastal living has spread out across the whole country.

“Of course, the boom in the Scottish oil sector during the period also provided a boost to house prices, particularly in several towns along the Aberdeenshire coastline.”

Nitesh Patel, housing economist at Bank of Scotland, added: “Seaside towns are highly popular places to live in Scotland as they offer a unique lifestyle.